Super Easy Make Ahead Orzo Pesto Salad

Orzo Pesto Salad, at a Glance

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Orzo. I LOVE orzo in pasta salads. It’s a small, rice-shaped pasta that’s brilliant in this recipe because it matches the size of all the other ingredients, and is easily scooped up with a spoon (key in my opinion!) But, you can use another small dried pasta shape like macaroni or fusilli if you can’t find orzo.
• Pesto. Try to find a good quality, fresh pesto if you can, because it will really make the salad. The pesto is the primary flavor, so you want it to taste good. If you’d like to make your own, give my homemade basil pesto recipe a go.
• Cherry tomatoes. I like vine cherry tomatoes because they have the best flavor, and much like with pesto, it’s key to use good quality ingredients here.
• Olives. I’m not the biggest fan of olives, EXCEPT for Kalamata olives. They are just such delicious little flavor bombs, and I always have a jar in my fridge. You can use whatever olive you prefer here if you don’t have Kalamata. Don’t like them? Swap them for sundried tomatoes.
• Pine nuts. These little beauties bring texture and crunch to the salad, so don’t skip them. They can be expensive, so you can replace them with a different nut or seed. Walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds work well.

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS: Add whatever crunchy veggies you have to hand – bell peppers are great, or cucumber, red onion, and scallions.

How to Make the Orzo Pesto Salad

This is a step-by-step photo overview of how to make the salad – the full recipe with ingredient quantities is at the bottom of the page for you.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the orzo until al dente.

2. Drain, then rinse the orzo under cold water. This helps cool it quickly and rinses off excess starch that can make it stick together.

3. Add your rinsed orzo, chopped veggies, grated parmesan, and pesto to a large bowl. Toss to combine very well.

4. If the salad feels a little thick, loosen it with a splash of olive oil or a squeeze of lemon juice. Then you’re ready to serve!

Orzo Pesto Salad FAQs

Like this recipe? Here are some more salads you might enjoy

Satay Crispy Rice Salad

Greek Quinoa Salad with Feta

Saucy Sesame Soba Noodle Salad

Juicy Chicken Shawarma Crispy Rice Salad

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Super Easy Make Ahead Orzo Pesto Salad

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Kate Phillips
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Orzo, pesto, tomatoes, olives, and TONS of flavor – this easy orzo pesto salad is the one I make on repeat all summer. It’s a quick, vibrant Mediterranean pasta salad that’s perfect for BBQs, parties, or make-ahead lunches. Toss it together in under 30 minutes and enjoy it cold from the fridge or at room temperature (it travels like a dream!)

If you’re using store-bought pesto, I recommend using a fresh, refrigerated one, rather than a shelf-stable jarred pesto, for the best flavor.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the orzo pesto salad –

• 12 oz (350g) orzo (or any small dried pasta like ditalini or macaroni)
• 1 pint (350g) cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, halved
• 3 scallions (spring onions), thinly sliced
• A handful of fresh basil leaves, sliced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 red bell pepper, diced (optional)
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced (optional)
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta (optional)
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (or use crushed walnuts, cashews, sunflower or pumpkin seeds)
• 3/4 cup pesto (store-bought or homemade – see below)
• Black pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh lemon juice or olive oil, to loosen, optional

For the homemade pesto –

• 2 packed cups of fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (or use cashews, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, sunflower or pumpkin seeds)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil

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Instructions

1. Make your pesto (skip this step if you’re using store-bought pesto). Add 2 cups of basil leaves, ½ cup grated parmesan, ⅓ cup pine nuts (or alternative), 3 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon of salt to the bowl of a food processor and blitz for a minute, until it turns into a rough paste. Scrape down the sides. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to create a lovely glossy pesto. Taste, then add a little more salt or lemon juice if you think it needs it.
2. Cook the orzo. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until just tender, according to the packet instructions.
3. Prepare the other ingredients. While the orzo cooks, prepare the rest of your salad ingredients, and toast your pine nuts (or alternative) in a small dry skillet over medium heat for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and golden.
4. Cool the orzo. Drain the orzo and rinse it thoroughly under cold water. This stops it cooking, cools the pasta quickly, and washes off excess starch so it doesn’t stick together.
5. Make the salad. In a large bowl, combine the cooled orzo, prepared vegetables, olives, cheeses, toasted nuts, and pesto. Add a few grinds of black pepper and toss everything very well to coat the pasta evenly. Taste and adjust the salt if needed (depending on how salty your pesto is). If the salad seems a little thick or sticky, add a squeeze of lemon juice or a drizzle of olive oil to loosen it up. Serve right away, or pop it into the fridge until you’re ready.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: This salad is really flexible, based on what you have on hand and what you like. Swap the olives for sundried tomatoes or jarred artichokes, and add diced cucumber, red onion, and fresh mozzarella (it’s lovely with little bocconcini balls). You can also add some grilled chicken or tofu to bulk it out with more protein. Use sunflower seeds, pumpkin (pepita seeds), or chopped nuts (like almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, or pistachios) in place of the pine nuts.

A NOTE ON PESTO: Fresh, refrigerated pesto will usually give you the best flavor if you’re buying it, but jarred works too. If your jarred pesto tastes a bit bland, add a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt to freshen it up.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: If you’re serving the salad for a party, I recommend holding some grated parmesan, basil, olives, and pine nuts back, and scattering them on top of the salad to serve. This just makes it look lovely and inviting.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: This salad keeps really well. Store it in the fridge in a covered container for up to 5 days (though it’ll likely be gone far quicker than that!). The cherry tomatoes tend to go a little soggy, so if you are preparing this to take to a party, add them the day you want to serve the salad for maximum freshness.

• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 10
• Category: pasta
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: mediterranean

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 300g
• Calories: 412
• Sugar: 7g
• Sodium: 469.9mg
• Fat: 18.4g
• Saturated Fat: 5.1g
• Unsaturated Fat: 12.1g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 46.7g
• Fiber: 4.2g
• Protein: 14.8g
• Cholesterol: 12.2mg